| 释义 |
▪ I. obey, v.|əʊˈbeɪ|
Forms: 3–6 obeie, 4–7 obeye, (5 obbey(e, abeyȝe, abey), 5–6 obay(e, obaie, (6 abeye, abaye), 5– obey.
[ME. obei-en, a. F. obéir:—L. obēdīre, orig. obœdīre to give ear, hearken, obey f. ob- (ob- 1 a) + audīre to hear. Certain parts of the F. verb (e.g. pr. pple. obéiss-ant, 3 pl. pres. ils obéiss-ent) have the lengthened stem obéiss- (L. type *obēdīsc-ĕre), whence the Eng. secondary verb obeish, obeis, as well as obeisance, etc.
F. obéir, like L. obēdīre, is an intransitive verb, construed with a dative pronoun, or the prep. à: je lui obéis; nous obéissons au roi, aux lois. When the vb. was taken into Eng., the dative and accusative were already levelled under the common object case, or objective; hence, the Eng. construction was either with a simple object, representing the dative, or with the preposition to, the vb. being thus syntactically, either trans. or intr. in the same sense. The const. with to has now become obsolete, and that with the simple object survived; an intrans. use, e.g. ‘to obey is better than sacrifice’, is now felt as an absolute use of the transitive. The trans. construction is here taken first, but it is to be remembered that the object was orig. a dative.]
1. trans. (orig. intr. with dat. obj.)
a. To comply with, or perform, the bidding of; to do what one is commanded by (a person); to submit to the rule or authority of, to be obedient to. (In quot. 1631, To comply with or accede to the request of: cf. obedient 3.)
c1290S. Eng. Leg. I. 76/179 For-to obeien is souereins: he wende forth. c1391Chaucer Astrol. Prol., God save the kyng & alle that him feyth bereth & obeieth. c1470Henry Wallace vi. 793 Fra Gamlis peth the land obeyt him haill, Til Ur wattir. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. viii. 6 They wolde all..abeye her and her sonne Edward, as they were bounde to do. 1529S. Fish Supplic. Beggars 11 The highe powers shuld be alweys obeid. a1631Donne Lett., To Sir H. Goodere (1651) 203, I cannot obey you, if you go to morrow to Parsons-green. 1638Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 25 It lately obeyed a Queen rectrix..but now submits to a King. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 184 The Lapithæ..taught the Steed..T' obey the Rider. 1794Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho xliv, You shall be obeyed, my lord. 1842Tennyson Dora 57, I have obey'd my uncle until now.
b. To comply with, perform (a command, etc.).
c1400Destr. Troy 506 Chethes..Bade his doughter come doune..And sho obeit his bone, & of boure come. a1533Ld. Berners Huon lxi. 212 We are redy to obey your commaundementes. 1578Timme Caluine on Gen. 255 How reverently His Word was to be obeied. 1667Milton P.L. vi. 185 Let mee serve..God..and his Divine Behests obey. 1762Goldsm. Cit. W. xlvi, The ladies obeying the summons, came up in a group. 1891E. Peacock N. Brendon I. 60 Brendon obeyed orders.
c. To submit to, subject oneself to; to act in accordance with (a principle, authority, etc.). Now rare or arch.
a1400–50Alexander 3983 Latt þan þine erlis and þine erd myne empire obeyi. 1539Bible (Great) Rom. ii. 8 Vnto them that are rebelles, and that do not obey the trueth, but folowe vnrighteousnes [1611 doe not obey the trueth, but obey vnrighteousnes]. 1667Milton P.L. ix. 351 What obeyes Reason, is free. 1733Pope Ess. Man iii. 213 Virtue..The same which in a Sire the Sons obey'd.
d. fig. (chiefly of things or involuntary agents): To act according to, or as compelled by (a thing, agency, force, impulse, etc.); to be actuated by.
1598Shakes. Merry W. iii. iii. 204 His dissolute disease will scarse obey this medicine. 1646J. Hall Horæ Vac. 146 He..that can make his hand obey the judgement of his eye. 1729Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. Pref. 14 Brutes obey their instincts. 1813Byron Corsair i. xvii, He marks how well the ship her helm obeys. 1871B. Stewart Heat (ed. 2) §67 A perfect gas obeys Gay Lussac's law.
†e. to obey obedience, to render obedience due.
1426Audelay Poems 11 Thai most obey obedyans that thai be bounden to. Ibid. 17 And obey obedyans and kepe observans.
f. Naut. phr. obey orders, if (though) you break owners, obey orders, even when they are wrong.
1840R. H. Dana Two Yrs. before Mast xvii. 92 It almost broke our poor darky's heart when he heard that Bess [a pet pig] was to be taken ashore... ‘Obey orders, if you break owners!’ said he..and lent a hand to get her over the side. 1849H. Melville Redburn I. vi. 57 The motto is, ‘Obey orders, though you break owners’. 1915J. E. Patterson Epistles from Deep Seas xiv. 300 There was the unwritten shipboard law: ‘Obey orders, even if you break owners.’ 1924R. Clements Gipsy of Horn iii. 50 What could be sounder than ‘Obey orders, if you break owners’—meaning, do as you're told, even if you know it's wrong.
†2. intr. To be obedient to or unto:
a. a person: = 1 a. Obs.
1382Wyclif 1 Macc. ii. 19 If alle folkis obeien to the kyng Antiochus,..Y and my sonys, and my bretheren shuln obeie to the lawe of oure fadris. a1450Knt. de la Tour (1868) 86 To obeye beter to her husbonde. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. xxxiv. 48 The Emperour..commaunded..that..all..his subgiettes shulde obey to the kyng of England. Ibid. lxvii. 89 The most part of the contrey hath obeyed vnto him. 1611Bible Rom. vi. 16 To whom yee yeeld your selues seruants to obey, his seruants ye are to whom ye obey. 1651tr. De-las-Coveras' Don Fenise 86 His conductresse prayed him to stay a little, to whom he obeyed.
†b. a command, etc.: = 1 b. Obs.
1382[see a]. 1424Paston Lett. I. 14 [They] schuld stonde and obeye to the ordinaunce. c1530Spirituall Counsayle E v, Make me alwaye to obey to thy commaundementes. 1584R. Scot Discov. Witchcr. xv. viii. (1886) 335, I conjure thee..that thou doo obey to my words. 1667Milton P.L. i. 337 To their Generals Voyce they soon obeyd.
†c. a principle, authority, etc.: = 1 c. Obs.
c1374Chaucer Boeth. i. pr. v. 15 (Camb. MS.) It ys a souerayne fredom to ben gouernyd by the brydul of hym and obeye to hys Iustyce. c1449Pecock Repr. 70 As the Romeyns obeieden to the open resoun and reproof which Seint Poul made. 1526Tindale Rom. i. 5 Thatt all gentiles shulde obeye to the fayth which is in his name. 1604Hieron Wks. I. 476 To obey from the heart vnto the forme of doctrine, wherevnto thou..art..deliuered.
†d. fig. = 1 d. Obs.
c1385Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 90 As an harpe obeieth to the hond. c1430Pilgr. Lyf Manhode i. cxxii. (1869) 65 Whan he sygh þat his body..wolde not obeye to him. c1566J. Alday tr. Boaystuau's Theat. World T ij b, So that his spirites..was constrained to obey to the harmony that proceeded from the instrument. 1604E. G. tr. D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iii. xix. 181 For that all obeys to golde and silver.
3. absol.
a. To do what one is commanded; to submit; to be obedient. (An original intrans. use, but now regarded as absol. use of sense 1.)
1390Gower Conf. I. 28 Ther myhte nothing contrevaille, Bot every contre most obeie. 1508Kennedie Flyting w. Dunbar 42 Obey and ceis the play that thow pretendis. 1610Shakes. Temp. i. ii. 38 Obey, and be attentiue. 1667Milton P.L. xii. 126 Him God..voutsafes To call by Vision..hee straight obeys. 1733Pope Ess. Man iii. 196 Thus let the wiser make the rest obey. 1842Tennyson Two Voices 244 Will he obey when one commands? 1847― Princess v. 440 Man to command and woman to obey.
b. fig. Of a thing.
1567J. Maplet Gr. Forest 12 Adamant..draweth it [iron] to it, and this last followeth and obeyeth. 1667Milton P.L. vii. 453 The Earth obey'd, and..teem'd at a Birth Innumerous living Creatures. Ibid. viii. 272 To speak I tri'd..My Tongue obey'd.
†4. refl. [= F. s'obéir]. To submit oneself to or unto; = 2. In quot. c 14403, to comply with or accede to (a request). Also trans. To submit, subject (one's will) to. Obs.
a1400–50Alexander 2837 Obey þe to þe baratour. c1420Chron. Vilod. 3458 Þey a-beyȝedone hem no-thyng to þe kyngus hest. c1440Jacob's Well 268 Obeye þe to þi god & to his comaundmentys. Ibid. 269 Obeye þi wyll to þi goddys wyll. Ibid. 270 Seynt gregorie seyth, ȝif we be obedyent to oure prelatys & curatys, god schal obeye hym to oure prayerys. c1450Merlin 104 Wele ye Than obbey yow to this eleccion? 1477Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 6 b, Humble and obeye yourself to your kyng.
5. intr. Astrol. Said of certain signs of the zodiac in relation to others (called commanding or sovereign signs), or of planets when in such signs: see quots. (See also obedient 2.)
c1391Chaucer Astrol. ii. §28 Gemini obeieth to Cancer, and taurus to leo, [etc.]... And thus euermo 2 signes that ben illike fer fro the heued of capricorne, obeien euerich of hem til other. 1696Phillips (ed. 5), Obeying Signs, the Southern, or six last Signs of the Zodiack are so called. 1819Wilson Dict. Astrol., Northern signs..are also called commanding signs, because planets in them are said to command, and those in the opposite signs to obey.
†6. (with various constructions). To do obeisance to, salute respectfully, bow to. Obs.
1390Gower Conf. III. 210 With that hire oghne lord cam nyh And is to themperour obeied. c1430Syr Gener. 6268 Whan he come to his presence, He obeid him with grete reuerence. a1450Knt. de la Tour (1868) 150 Fulle goodly thei reuerenced and obeyed eche to other as louyng cosynes and parentys. c1475Babees Bk. 85 At euery tyme obeye vnto youre lorde Whenne yee answere. a1650Sir Lambewell 577 in Furniv. Percy Folio I. 162 She..obayd her to the King soe hend, & tooke leaue away to wend.
Hence oˈbeyed ppl. a., oˈbeying vbl. n. and ppl. a.: also oˈbeyingly adv.
c1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xxvi. 550, I sawe that..ye were obeyeng to me. 1607Hieron Wks. I. 308 The willing obeying of the Lord. 1654–66Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 536 Arsaces had given an obeyed command. 1656Artif. Handsom. 52 They are servings and obeyings of it. 1843Carlyle Past & Pr. ii. ix, To learn obeying is the fundamental art of governing. 1864Webster, Obeyingly.
▪ II. † obey, n. Obs. rare.
[f. prec. vb.]
= obedience 2. In phr. at his obey = at his command.
1584R. Scot Discov. Witchcr. xv. ii. (1886) 316 Six and twentie legions are at his obeie and commandement. |